Almost 120 cases of tenants at risk of becoming homeless in Cork
Denis Housing Or Picture: Councillors More Rapid Want Minihane Building Modular
Almost 120 cases of tenants at risk of becoming homeless due to the sale of the property have been identified in Cork city.
It has prompted calls for a raft of emergency responses to cope with the lifting of the eviction ban as new figures show that just three properties with a tenant-in-situ have been bought by Cork City Council since last June.
While more properties are being lined up for purchase under the scheme, city councillors said much more is needed amid fears of a tsunami of evictions at the end of this month.
They have now called for more modular or rapid building housing, for the faster turnaround of vacant council homes, and for planners to approve the construction of log cabins in the gardens of parents whose children can’t afford to buy homes or rent.
The suggestions were made during a lengthy and wide-ranging debate on the housing crisis at this month’s meeting of Cork City Council which was told of a significant ramping up of tenant-in-situ purchases – a scheme designed to help keep tenants in place in cases where a landlord opts to sell their property, and the tenant is receiving state supports such as the Housing Assistance Payment or is on the Rental Accommodation Scheme.
The Government said it hoped that local authorities could buy 1,500 homes under the scheme but it was reported last week that just 13 homes have been bought between the four Dublin councils. A further 382 are being examined for possible purchase, of which 92 are described as at “closing” or “sale agreed” stage.
In Cork, the city council has received 117 initial contacts from either landlords or tenants regarding properties where tenants are at risk of becoming homeless due to the sale of a property.
But officials said just three properties with tenants-in-situ have been bought since June 2022.
They said they are close to buying five more, that 11 more are under technical inspection and progressing to valuation stage, and that a further 22 households have already sourced alternative accommodation.
“In addition, there are 29 cases that are not eligible, 14 cases where the landlord did not wish to sell to the council and there are 33 potential proposals still under review,” they said.
Officials also said that 14 vacant and derelict properties have been deemed not suitable for social housing but more are being assessed.
Independent councillor Thomas Maloney said he is “burned out” from dealing with housing queries.
“I am dreading what’s going to come in the next couple of weeks and months,” he said.
Fine Gael councillor Des Cahill said funding for the construction of social housing is not the issue, with some 1,000 units due to be completed this year, but he said more single-bedroom apartments and more affordable rental units are needed and housing agencies should be tasked with tackling that.
His party colleague, Camian Boylan, called for an easing of planning restrictions to allow people with big gardens build log cabins in them for their children with a housing need.
"We have a lot coming at us and we need to get inventive,” he said.
Councillors have now agreed to bring forward the next meeting of the council’s housing strategic policy committee to discuss various possible responses.